COVID -19 Vaccination: Hindrance for Organ Transplantation

Outcome and survival after solid organ transplantation improved significantly in the last 15 years, leading to a need for new and effective preventive measures to maintain general health. Immuno-suppressive regimens put these patients at higher risk of life threating infection. Vaccination can prevent disease and decrease the replication and dissemination of infectious micro-organism. Therefore, specific vaccines have been recommended including pneumococcal, influenza and hepatitis A and hepatitis B, in selected cases tetanus, diphtheria and haemophilus influenza type B are used. However, the efficacy, safety, and protocols of several vaccines in the patient population are poorly understood. Due to immune-suppression regimens, several questions arise. Firstly, what is the effect of immune-suppression on the efficacy of pre-transplant covid-19 vaccination? Secondly, if covid-19 vaccination can be given post-transplantation can efficacy of covid-19 vaccine hinder the post-transplant phase? Thirdly, what can be the duration between post transplantation phase and covid-19 vaccination?